Concerns are being raised over fairness in Canada’s immigration system after hundreds of doctors were granted immigrant status due to processing errors.

The blunder, which was made public this month, occurred in a Polish processing center in 2011. Approximately 1,000 applications from doctors were processed using out-of-date guidelines, which resulted in hundreds of acceptances which otherwise might not have been issued.

In an internal email sent shortly after the error, a Citizenship and Immigration Canada official admitted that some clients might be upset by the mistake but that they would not retroactively reassess the processed files.

“From now on, I propose we follow the newer guidelines,” said CIC official Helene Girard in the email. “This may generate some complaints from clients and consultants when they will realize we have changed our approach. It will also increase the risk of litigation.”

Immigrant advocates are concerned over the lack of willingness to address the error, which resulted in unequal treatment of applicants, depending on the luck of when they applied. Furthermore, the lack of transparency raises concerns that these types of errors might be commonplace across processing centers.

CIC has not publicly responded to the issue since it was brought to light this month, but observers guess that confusion likely occurred at the Warsaw office when files and officers were transferred from the office in Damascus, which had been closed due to the ongoing conflict in Syria.